Auxiliary air intake for motors



Jan. 25 1927.

P. w. STEPHENS AUXILIARY AIR INTAKE FOR MOTORS Filed Dec. 21. 1925 atope uh ens @126? f zz/e7 wig/.72 gill/4% Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

PERCY W. STEPHENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' AUXILIARY AIR INTAKE FOR MOTORS.

Application filed December 21, 1925. Serial No. 76,790.

This invention relates to improvements in auxiliary air intake devicesfor internal combustion engines, and has for its rincipal object toproduce a device of the c iaracter described, capable of permitting anauxiliary supply of air to be drawn into the intake manifold .when themotor is heated, and has for a further Object to provide an improvedconstruction whereby the device may be readily attached in ordinarymanifold couplings without requiring extra drilling or machining of thestandard parts of a a motor..

The invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a fragmentary ,view'of a motorshowing an intake manifold and carbue retor having my improved'deviceattached thereto.

Figure 2 is a detailed section taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed section taken on lines 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed section taken on lines 4-4: of Figure 1. Figure'5 is a detailed section taken on lines 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view of a modified form of my device, and

Figure 7 isa view of another form of my device.

' Referring first to the embodiment of .my invention illustrated inFigures 1 to 5 inelusive, the same is shown as applied to an internalcombustion motor of which the inlet port 10 opening is shown herein, to-

from the exhaust gases tend to preheat the incoming charges passingthrough the adjacent intake manifold 11,

Referring more specifically to.--n1y improved attachment, I provide athermostatic control device 19 comprising a casing 21 having a valvemember 22 connected with a thermostatic element 20 for controlling aninlet port 24 at the lower end of the casing 21. In the form shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3, the casing 21 comprises a cylindrical member havinga threaded plug 25 at its lower end through which the inlet opening21'is formed and a cap 25 threaded in the upper end thereof, said capalso forming a securing device for the thermostat element 20, hereinshown as a C-shaped bi-metallic member having the usual thermostaticproperties whereby the valve member 22 will normally maintain the inletopening 24 closed when under ordinar temperature, but when thethermostatic member is heated, as by the heat from the motor, the airinlet will be opened. I

In the form shown in Figure 3 I also. pro vide a check valve in thecasing 21, comprising a ball 28 which is normally maintained by gravityso as to close the air inlet port 24 The entire valve and thermostaticmechanism above described is supported on a tube 30, arranged so as tocommunicate'at one end with the intake manifold,but preferably capableof being bent so as to support thev thermostatic device and inlet valvein a position adjacent a part of the motor which .isnormally heatedduring the operation of the motor. As. herein shown the pipe 30 isarranged so as to support the thermostatic device beneath and adjacentthe exhaust pipe 15 and close to the side of the intake manifold, but itis manifest that the position of the tube may be varied widely toaccommodatethe device to various'types and constructions of motors.

In" order to insure the positive operation of the thermostat by the heatradiating from the adjacent motor parts, I provide a shield 31, suitablyconnected to the pipe 30 as by a clip 32, and arranged in front of thethermostat so as to shield the same from air currents such as areusually present for cooling motors of the type described.

The useand operation of the device above described will now be manifest.An auxiliary supply of air will be drawn into the intake manifold afterthe motor has become heated, thus affording a richer mixture whenstarting the motor than after the motor has become heated and a thinnermixture is desirable. The quantity of air admitted of course varies withthe heat of the motor, which causes the thermostat valve 22 to open to agreater or less degree in proportion to the motor. temperature. Thecheck valve opens automatically to admit the air when the suctionadmitted through the part 24 is suiiicient to raise the ball 28.

Referrin now to the means for attaching the pipe 30 to the manifold, Iprovide a special form of bolt 35, of standard length and thread so asto be substituted for one of the standard bolts used in connecting thecarburetor 14 to the manifold flange 13.

Details of the bolt are shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which it will beobserved that the pipe 30 is arranged to be tapped in the head 36 ofsaid bolt with a duct 37 drilled co-axially for a portion of the lengthof the bolt and communicating with two laterally extending passageways38-38 communicatingwith a grooved portion 39 about the body 40 of saidbolt, adjacent the middle thereof. The extreme end of the body of thebolt is threaded at 41 in the usual manner. In connection with the bolt35 above described, I provide a special form of gasket 42, adapted tofit the manifold flange 13 in the usual manner, but with one side ofsaid gasket having a slotted portion 43 arranged to extend intoregistering position with one of the bolt holes, and thus receive thebolt 35 through the outer end thereof, when the latter is mserted'insecuring position, as is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. The thicknessof the gasket is such as to'provide a communication for air entering thetube 30 and passing through ducts 37 and holes 3838 into the slottedextension 43 and thus into the interior of the manifold pipe 12. Thegroove 39 is referably formed of substantial width, being somewhat widerthan the gasket 42 so that communication between holes 38, 38 and thegasket slot 43 will be afforded for varying thicknesses of manifold andcarburetor flanges with which the bolt may be utilized.

It will be observed from the above de scription that my improved form ofbolt and gasket may be utilized in connection with standard forms ofmanifold and provide the desired air intake without equipping anyadditional machinery or tapping of the manifold or carburetor bodies.

Referring to the modified form. of device shown in Figure 6, the sameform of thermostat element 20 and valve 22 is shown, but in which thevalve 22 is seated on the end of the pipe 45 and communicates with acheck valve 46, intermediate the thermostat element and the manifold.The check valve in this instance comprises a ball 47 maintained undertension in a sprin 48 to close the lower end of the pipe 45, this ormbeing especially desirable to insure that the check valve will bepositively closed, regardless of the position and arrangement of thecasing 46, and also that a greater pressure may be provided if desired,to maintain the check valve closed until the suction tending to opensaid valve has reached a predetermined value. On the modified form shownthe casing 46 is connected by another pipe 49 t0,a tap 50 which may beformed directly in a manifold coupling 51, or, if desired, ma be tappedinto t e usual manifold itself. Z shield 31 similar in function to theshield 31 described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, is alsoprovided, but in this form said shield together with the thermostatelement 20 are positively secured to the tube 45 by means of a pair ofnuts 5252 threaded on the tube 45 as shown. By means of this arrangementthe shield 31 and thermostat elements 20 may be rotated independently ofeachother, ma ring it possible for them to be readily readjusted to anydesired angular position relative to the tube and the motor to which thedevice is applied, for the purpose of fitting them snugly in the mostconvenient co=operating position adjacent the side of said motor.

Inthe form shown in Figure 7 the same form of bolt 35 is shown asattached to the flange of the carburetor and manifold, but in which thepipe 30 leads to a sim le check valve including a casing 21 an a ball 28maintained by gravity to close an inlet port 24.

I claim as my invention;

1. A device of the character described comprising a tube having means atone end for attachment to a manifold, a valve at the other end of saidtube, a thermostat device on said tube for controlling said valve, ashield for said thermostat device carried on said tube said tubebeingreadily bent to adjustably support said thermostat and shield inco-operating position relative to the motor whereby it is responsive tothe heat of said motor toopen said valve.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a tube having meansat one end for attachment to a manifold. a valve at the other end ofsaid tube, a curved thermostat element fixed at one end on said tube andhaving the other end adapted to control said valve, said tube beingarranged to support said thermostat in co-operating position relative tothe motor whereby it is responsive to the heat of said motor to opensaid valve, and a check-valve intermediate the ends of said tubeaffording passage of air therethrough only under a predetermined amountof suction in said manifold.

A device of the character described, to themotor whereby it isresponsive to the comprising a tube having means at one end forattachment to a manifold, a valve at a shield adjustably mounted on saidtube 10 the other end of said tube, a thermostat derelative to saidthermostat device.

' F vice on said tube for controlling said valve Signed at Chicago,111., this 1st day of said tube being arranged to support sai December1925, thermostat in co-operatmg position relative PERCY W. STEPHENS.

heat of said motor to open said valve, and r

